No SC, ST, OBC quota in minority college admissions: Bombay High Court

Mumbai,UPDATED: Jun 12, 2025 18:59 IST

The Bombay High Court on Thursday stayed a decision of the Maharashtra government by which it had granted SC, ST and OBC reservations for First Year Junior College (FYJC) admission in minority institutions in the state.

The bench of Justices MS Karnik and NR Borkar said, "We find substance in the submissions advanced by the counsels for the petitioners therefore the mandate of social reservation will not be applicable in any seats in minority institutions."

The bench directed the government to file a reply to its plea within four weeks and granted time to the petitioners to file a reply in two weeks after that. The bench will again hear the petition on August 6.

The bench had earlier asked the Maharashtra government to consider passing a corrigendum to the Government Resolution (GR) passed on May 6, 2025, in which it had taken this decision.

However, Government Pleader Neha Bhide said that she had no instructions to withdraw the GR.

While making her arguments she submitted, "The right of the minority community is not being touched by the GR. The minority community can fill up all the seats that they have. It is only at the stage when the seats remain unfilled, and the seats are surrendered that the social reservation comes into place."

"The reservation would be only for the surrendered seats and this is not a case which violates constitutional mandate," Bhide added.

PETITIONERS CITE CONSTITUTIONAL PROTECTIONS UNDER ARTICLE 30

Petitioners lawyer Milind Sathe read article 15(5) of Constitution of India which allows the state to make special provisions by law for the advancement of socially and educationally backward classes of citizens, Scheduled Castes, and Scheduled Tribes, particularly in relation to their admission to educational institutions, including private institutions, whether aided or unaided by the state, but excluding minority educational institutions.

Advocate SC Naidu pointed to Article 30 of the Indian Constitution which protects the rights of minorities, both religious and linguistic, to establish and administer educational institutions of their choice.

It ensures that minorities can preserve and develop their unique cultures through education. This article prohibits the State from discriminating against any institution based on the fact that it is administered by a minority group, especially when granting financial aid.

The lawyers also submitted that the seats that remained vacant even in the minority quota are always filled according to merit.

The bench was hearing a petition filed by Solapur's APD Jain Pathashala, a trust that runs Walchand College of Arts and Science and Hirachand Nemchand College of Commerce in Mumbai and another petition by Maharashtra Association of Minority Educational Institutions.

FYJC GENERAL MERIT LIST RELEASED, 200 STUDENTS SCORE FULL MARKS

Meanwhile, the Maharashtra School Education and Sports Department has released the general merit list for First Year Junior College (FYJC) admissions today, June 12, 2025. Students who applied for Class 11 admission can now check their merit status on mahafyjcadmissions.in.

This year, 200 students scored a perfect 500 out of 500, making the competition especially intense. The merit list is divided into four score bands: 500–400, 399–300, 299–200, and 199–175.

Candidates can view or download the list by clicking on “General Merit List” on the homepage and selecting the appropriate option. To check individual merit ranks, students must enter their application number in the search bar on the same page.

Officials clarified that this is not the allotment list. Seat allocation will be based on multiple criteria including scores, reservation claims, and availability of seats as confirmed by junior colleges.

As per the official notification, “Any discrepancy found during the verification process at any level may lead to revision of the candidate's position in the General merit list. The misleading information may also lead to rejection and or cancellation of admission.”

The admission process for FYJC began on June 12 and will continue till June 14. Eligible students must complete the required formalities within this window.